Help with John Henry Art Rosenbaum slide style

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Do you play more than one style? 70% bluegrass, 30% clawhammer, or whatever combination? If you fit multiple molds, join us!

17 Members, Created 3/9/2011 -

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From lukeaskance on 1/2/2012 2:55:01 PM

Hi everybody (not that there seem to be many of us multi-taskers...) -

I'm working slowly through Art Rosenbaum's books - having got hold of his old out-of-print "Old-time Mountain Banjo" book, I recently bought the reprint of his "Art of the Mountain Banjo" on Mel Bay - partly because it had tabs for "John Henry". It's a great slide version (well, potentially great, as far as my limited playing goes), very bluesy - but I just can't seem to make the words fit the tab. It's frustrating because he says "on the CD I play it such-and-such a way", but the song isn't actually on the CD that comes with the book. I suppose it must be on his "5-string banjo" record that I can't seem to find anywhere - and wondered if anyone had it, or knows how to play it, so I could give it a listen - even just a part of it, to get an idea... Or could give me an idea of how the words fit into that tab? Pretty basic I'm sure, but I though I'd ask instead of taking 2 months to figure it out... It's on a lovely low AAAC#E (GGGBD + capo 2) tuning, I'm making horrible noises with the slide for the moment but it's getting somewhere...

Thanks in advance -

Luke Askance from France

6 Comments
	Paul T R says: 2/4/2012 12:17:52 AM Can't say I can help you with the song - I haven't heard it either. But, when you say you're making "horrible noises", are you getting overtones and unwanted notes? I got that until I learned to damp the strings with the finger behind the slide. That way you only sound the noted out front of the slide.
	lukeaskance says: 2/4/2012 8:41:43 AM That's just what I'm getting... Particularly on my resonator banjo; it does seem to sound better on my Goodtime. But - have just given your advice a quick try, and, although it doesn't come naturally to get that ring finger flat behind the little finger (the one I put the slide on), you certainly seem to have a point... Thanks for sharing it. And meanwhile I seem to be working the song out - once able to play it a bit faster and more regularly, the timing seems to be fallng into place.
	Paul T R says: 2/4/2012 1:48:21 PM Glad it's working for you. And, if the ring finger doesn't work, try the middle (use the ring finger only to help secure the slide). Lucky you to be able to put the slide on your pinky. I can only anchor it firmly on the ring finger.
	lukeaskance says: 2/4/2012 2:01:12 PM I'm just a skinny Brit... I often wished I'd grown up in the States just so I could be called Slim. Just tryin' to play it with a cool hand... Luke
	lukeaskance says: 2/4/2012 2:06:14 PM ...Hmm. Do people get called Slim in Canada?
	Paul T R says: 2/4/2012 2:16:45 PM Ha ha! Good ones. Sometimes, if they're fat. "Shorty" if they're tall. There was a young lady in one of the groups I was in that played at mass. One of our guitar players called her "Screech", but not to her face.
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